Spring forward — and check smoke detectors, too

This weekend marks the moment that people move their clocks forward one hour in observance of daylight-saving time. Public-safety officials say it’s also a good time to check smoke detectors and to review emergency plans.

Daylight-saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday. The move forward will mean residents get to enjoy a little more sunlight in the evenings.

The same battery switch should be made this weekend in carbon monoxide detectors, Jones said.

“When you have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors that you know are working properly, they can dramatically increase your chances of getting out of your home safely in the event of an emergency,” he said.

Jones said this weekend is also a good time to review your family’s emergency plans and disaster plans.

“When you are done moving your clocks, sit down as a family and review your safety plan,” Jones said. “Talk about what you would do in an emergency. The best way to be ready for an emergency or a disaster — whether it is a fire or a weather event or something else — is for you to sit down as a family ahead of time, make a plan and make sure everyone in your family knows how to carry it out. You’ll feel much more secure in an emergency if you know you have a plan that you and your family have thought out and talked about.”

A safety plan includes things like the place in your neighborhood where you and your family would meet if you had to get out of your house in a hurry.

Jones also suggests that families use this weekend to prepare disaster kits, including food and water, that could be used during emergencies.